Reincarnated from the ashes of their previous west coast project Ecstatic Union, Rex Costello and Oliver Hart have found a new beginning in the heart of New York City for the continuation of their psychedelic disco rock sound. Joining forces with producer Sam Cohen proved to be a pivotal development in this reimagined perspective, kindling the fire for their earlier sonic recipes so that they may cook to perfection. Rounding out the core cast are drummer Evan Eubanks, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Diona West, and bassist Theadora Curtis, though the electrifying live experience has a tendency to attract additional actors to their magnetic stage show.
Speaking of electricity, there is not a more apt title for this new single than ‘Megawatt.’ It’s a power plant of psychedelic garage rock energy engineered to power every house capable of receiving the signal – if you can hear it, you can feel it. All members are at their respective control centers diverting their current to their instruments efficiently, working together to fuel a song that boogies at peak groove levels. Hell, the song has such a high concentration of life-affirming vibes that even Diona’s unborn child appears on the track, interacting with their theremin in utero! Crunchy synths and angular guitar riffs collide with the doubled and harmonized vocals to create a mind-bending symphony while the rhythm section carries the track along the grid in synchronized bliss via frictionless fuzz bass and driving drums. There is no sophomore slump here; this is a second stride.
To attempt to match this frenetic tune, ISTA also hereby present an accompanying music video, filmed almost entirely on the spur of the moment after previous scripts had been trashed, showing us all that sometimes the best ideas are the ones that come to the unburdened mind. We follow a family’s summer reprieve turned hallucinogenic trip via the lens of a VHS camera one could probably find at just about any thrift store. Relaxing scenes by the pool turn into frenzied scenes of mania after our protagonist unearths a girthy quartz, perhaps the secret power source behind this group’s vitality, and combines it with your average everyday pool toys to embark on a journey only knowable by its participants. There are plans to release a full length follow-up in the summer of 2025.
REF: psychedelicbabymag.com
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